Tehran terror attacks outcome of Trump visit to Saudi Arabia: Analyst

Iran’s Parliament (Majlis) and the mausoleum of the late founder of the Islamic Republic Imam Khomeini in the capital Tehran have come under terrorist attacks, resulting in deaths and injuries. The Daesh Takfiri terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Press TV has talked to Catherine Shakdam, director of Shafaqna Institute for Middle Eastern Studies, as well as Jihad Mouracadeh, political analyst, to get their opinion on this issue.

Shakdam believes Wednesday’s terror attacks in Tehran were the outcome of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Saudi Arabia and his speech on Islam, arguing that Riyadh now feels that it has a “carte blanche” to destabilize Iran.

“It was a perfect occasion for Saudi Arabia to stretch its muscles and allow Daesh to target the one country that it could not do before – Iran – because now the US is standing by Riyadh and has extended a carte blanche by buying millions and billions of dollars of worth weapons,” she said.

However, the analyst said, Iran proved that it can defend its people, borders, and ideology, adding that it is a “fallacious” idea for Riyadh to think it can give the opposite impression.

The analyst also emphasized that Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world which is promoting “sectarianism”, adding that it is financing the Daesh terrorists in order to carry out its agenda.

Shakdam further highlighted the fact that the terrorist attacks in Tehran were “a direct attack against progressive democracy” in the Middle East by the likes of Saudi Arabia which do not want democracy to flourish.

“It is clear today that democracy is flourishing regardless of many attacks that Wahhabism has conducted in Syria, Iraq and other places in the world. The resistance movement is gaining ground and Wahhabism is disappearing and dying out,” she said in conclusion.

Meanwhile, Jihad Mouracadeh, the other panelist on the program, said the terrorist attacks in Tehran had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or the Riyadh Declaration which condemns Iran policies in the region, arguing that the Daesh terrorist group had threatened the Islamic Republic before.

He also opined that it would not be a right timing for Saudi Arabia to draw world attention away from Qatar, which it now considers an enemy, with a terrorist attack in Tehran.

The analyst further rejected the idea that Saudi Arabia is supporting the Daesh terrorists, reasoning that the kingdom itself has been subjected to terror attacks.